Loose leaf binder



Patented Jan. 31, 1933 PATENT HENRY MORGAN KELLOGG, OF STRATFORD, ANDJOH1\T .AHLBIN, OF FAIRFIELD, CON- INECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE E. W.CARPENTER IIIANUFACTUPUING COMPANY, OF BBIDGEEORT, OGNNEC'IICUT ACORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT Loosn LEAF BINDER Application filed October26, 1931.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in loose leafbinders.

An object of the invention is to provide a loose leaf binder of improvedconstruction wherein the back member and metal member are tightlyconnected so as not to shift relatively and wherein the metal shapes thebinder backto provide a round back binder wherein the back is held inshape by the metal.

Another object is to provide a loose leaf binder wherein the ends of themetal are rounded to shape the binder back and wherein the metal engagesthe back at the ends of the metal and for the entire length of the metalat the longitudinal edges thereof whereby to give the back a goodsubstantial support. r

' A further object is to provide a loose leaf binder wherein theconnection between the metal and the binder back is directly against theback to prevent shifting of the back and to give a tight connectionwhile permitting of the use of short rivets or other securing means, incombination with a metal employing a minimum of material whereby thebinders may be manufactured at less cost.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following detailed escription taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein a. satisfactory embodiment of the inventionis shown. It will, of course, be understood that the invention is notlimited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations andmodifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims to which claims reference should be had for adefinition of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fi 1 is a plan view of a loose leaf binde having a base metal or memberin accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the metal completely assembled ready tobe secured upon the back of binder; V

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the flat stock illustrating the manner offabricating and punching the same preparatory to the shaping of the sameinto the metal of Fig. 2;

Fig. at is a transverse sectional view sub- Serial No. 571,052.

stantially on the line H of Fig. 2 and showing the binding rings closed;

Fig. 5 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 4; but showing the rings open;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one end portion of the metalseparate from the binder; v

Fig. 7 is asectional view through one end portion of the metal alone assuggested by the line 7-7 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1and illustrating the manner of securing the metal and back together;

Fig. 9 is an end elevational view'showing a portion of the back with themetal assembled thereon; and

Fig. 10 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. bcpt showing the partscompletely assem- Referring in detail to the drawing, the metal isgenerally designated 11 and as shown in Fig. 3 initially comprises afiat or substantially flat piece of stock having similar end members 12and 13. Pairs or sets of openings 14.- and 15 are provided in the metal11 to receive the ring members as is well understood in the art.Further, somewhat inwardly of each of the ends 12 and 13 the metal 11 isperforated as at 16 for a purpose to be described.

The ends 12 and 13 are of the same construction and these ends areimperforate, but their extreme edges are rounded as at 17. Metal 11 alsoincludes side wall portions 18 extending along the longitudinal edges ofthe metal and the ends 12 and 13 have straight side edges 19, the lengthof said edges preferably equal to the width of the side walls 18 of themetal. In this connection it will be noted that the curvature of theouter edges 17 of the ends 1 2 and 13 starts at the extreme outer end ofthe straight side edges 19 of the ends. 1

In assembling the metal the entire longitudinal central part thereof,designated 20, and comprising that portion of-the metal not representedby the ends 12 and 13 and the sides 18 is given a concave curvature asclearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Thepurpose of FFlCE' this configurationis, of course, to permit the operation of suitable shaft members 21 and22 connecting the binding rings 23. The side walls or edge portions 18of the metal are bent around the longitudinal portions of the shaftmembers 21 and 22 as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

hen the ring members are in position as shown in Fig. 4 theinter-engaging parts of the shafts 21, 22, which parts are designated24, meet at an angle below the other portions of the shaft members. henit is desired to open the rings 23 it will be obvious that the shaftmembers 21 and 22 will be forced past the common center and up into thecurved portion of the metal member 11. From this it will be seen that byforcingthe inter-connected parts at of the shaft members up and downpast the common center the ring members will be held open orclosed.

The ends 12 and 13 are also bent into the position shown as extendingdownwardly from the curved body portion. \Vhen in position the ends 12and 13 are disposed between the extreme end portions of the side walls18 preferably with the edges 19 of the ends adjacent the inner surfacesof the side walls. Since the edges 19 of the ends are of the same heightas the sides 18 it will be apparent that the curved edge portions 17 ofthe ends will project somewhat beyond the lower edges of the sides.

Openings or perforations 16 are adapted to have rivets or other securingmeans passed through them and through the back 25 for the purpose ofsecuring the metal to the back. As the edges of the sides 18 engage theback when the metal and back are assembled it will be apparent that thecurved body portion 20 of the metal, through which or in which openings16 are provided, will be in spaced relation to the back. Therefore, withthe openings 16 in the plane of the portion 20 of the metal relativelylong rivets or other securing means would be required to connect themetal and back, and the back would not be properly supported or securelyfastened in its portion through which the rivet would pass. This iscommonly used in old constructions and is not satisfactory as the metalsare not properly secured in the desired position but are permitted toshift. That is, the metals are not tightly secured to the back and sowould shift back and forth. Also in these devices the backs are not madeof heavy substantial material but of light cardboard, and if the rivetis drawn up tight it bends the back inwardly thus tending to concave itor it is liable to pull through.

To overcome these objections a portion of the material of the metalsurrounding each of the openings 16 is drawn downwardly somewhat in theshape of a cone as at 26 whereby to dispose the opening 16 materiallybelow the plane of the body portion 20 of the metal. In fact, theopening 16 is preferably drawn substantially into the plane of the highpoint of the curved edge 17 of the ends 12 and 13. Further, the lowerend of the cone 26 is somewhat fiat whereby to provide material 27surrounding the opening 16 and against which the rivet may be upset orheaded.

The metal may be drawn to provide the cones 26 whereby to have theopenings 16 disposed in planes below the plane of the body portion 20 ofthe metal either before or after the sides 18 and the ends 12 and 13 arebent into their proper positions. With the sides and ends in positionand the cones 26 formed to dispose the openings 16 in the desiredplanes, the metal is disposed on the back 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 8.Short rivets or eyelets 28 may then be passed through the back ano theopenings 16 and upset or headed as by any suitable tool-29. (See Fig.8.)

TV hen the parts are secured together, the back, not being ordinarilymade of heavy substantial material but of light cardboard, will be drawnagainst the curved lower edges 17 of the ends and will tend to assumethe shape of said edges. That is, the binder will have a round back asis desirable and the back will tend to retain its shape owing to theengagement between the back and the rounded or curved edges of the ends.This effect is increased when the front and back cover sections arefolded together in front of the body portion 20. Further, since theportions 27 of the metal about the opening 16 are in direct contact withthe back, short rivets or other securing means may be used for securingthe parts together and the cost thus reduced. Moreover, since portionsof the metal directly engage the back about the openings 16 throughwhich the rivets pass it will be apparent that the rivets can be set uptight and a substantial connection provided. This effectively holds themetal from shifting back and forth and therefore holds it securely inproper position. There is no danger of the rivet drawing the backinwardly to make it unsightly by concaving it or to pull the rivetthrough the back. Also the rivets are directly in the central orstrongest and most rigid portion of the metal.

It should also be noted that the lower edges of the sides or side walls18 of the metal engage the back for the entire length of the metal andthe back is thus additionally supported. Since the portions 27 of themetal engage the back about the points where the rivets or othersecuring means pass through the back it will be apparent that a goodstrong conn ction is provided and that the back will not shiftor wabblerelative to the metal. Moreover, the portion of the back between thesides 18 of the metal will not be drawn into the metal or concaved inthe op- I eration of applying the rivets and further will not sink intothe metal through its open under-side after the binder has been used.

The advantages pointed out in connection with the present structure areobtained without increasing the cost of manufacture and are, as a matterof fact, obtained and at the same time the cost of manufacture lowered.As above pointed out shorter rivets or other securing means may be usedand the material forming the cones 26 is obtained by drawing portions ofthe metal surrounding the openings 16 whereby the metal is formed of theusual quantity of material, no extra material being required for thepurpose of disposing the openings 16 in the lower plane.

Havin thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a back member, a hollow metal member open atone side and having said side disposed against the back, the side ofsaid metal remote from the back having spaced openings intermediate itsends for the passage of means to secure the metal and back together, aportion of the metal about each of said openings being drawn down todispose the perforated portions of the metal against the back wherebyshort securing means may be used for securing the back and metaltogether with portions of the metal about the openings directly engagingthe back.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a back, a metal, said metal includingside walls, said metal intermediate its ends having spaced openings forthe passage of means to secure the back and metal together, and only aportion of the metal immediately about each of said openings being drawndown to dispose the perforated portions of the metal substantially inthe plane of the lower edges of the side walls whereby short securingmeans may be used for securing the metal to the back and whereby thelower edges of the side walls of the metal and portions of the metalabout the openings directly engage the back when the back and metal aresecured together.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising a back, a metal, said metal includingside walls and end walls having rounded lower edges disposed to extendbelow the lower edges of the side walls, said metal intermediate itsends having spaced openings for the passage of means to secure the backand metal together, and a portion of the metal about each of saidopenings being drawn down to dispose the perforated portions of themetal in the plane of the lower edges of the end walls whereby the loweredges of the side and end walls of the metal and portions of the metalabout the openings directly engage the back when the back and metal aresecured together and whereby the back is shaped by the rounded loweredges of the end walls.

4. A loose leaf binder comprising a back, a metal including end wallshaving rounded openings directly engage the back when the back and metalare secured together and whereby the back is shaped by the rounded loweredges of the end walls.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

HENRY MORGAN KELLOGG. JOHN AHLBIN.

